"Every secret has a price. The real question is—who will pay for it?"

Shinseong High was a place where money spoke louder than words. Students arrived in blacked-out limousines, their uniforms perfectly tailored, their watches worth more than a small apartment. In the middle of all that glitz and privilege, there was one student who didn’t belong—Lee Joon-hyuk.

He wasn’t like the others. No flashy watches, no personal chauffeur. His uniform wasn’t custom-made, and his shoes had seen better days. Everyone knew he was a scholarship student, which in a school like this, was another way of saying “outsider”. But Joon-hyuk didn’t care. Or at least, he pretended not to.

He walked through the school gates, keeping his head down, blending into the background like he always did. But today felt different.

A group of students was gathered near the front, whispering excitedly.

“Did you hear? Han Soo-ah rejected another chaebol heir!”

“She’s insane. Who says no to a guy driving a Lamborghini?”

“She doesn’t care about money. Maybe she likes bad boys.”

Joon-hyuk wasn’t interested in school gossip, but one name made him stop—Han Soo-ah.

She was the girl everyone talked about but no one really knew. Beautiful, sharp-tongued, and impossible to impress. Some said she came from an ordinary family, others swore she was the secret daughter of a powerful CEO. All Joon-hyuk knew was that she was the only person in this school who never looked at him with pity.

And today, for the first time, she was looking at him.

Their eyes met across the crowd, and for a brief second, something flickered between them. Recognition? Curiosity? Before he could figure it out, she smirked.

“Lee Joon-hyuk. The boy who doesn’t belong.”

The crowd turned to him, expecting a reaction. But Joon-hyuk just shrugged, unaffected.

“And you’re the girl who doesn’t care.”

A few students gasped. No one spoke to Han Soo-ah like that. But instead of getting angry, she laughed—a real, amused laugh.

“Interesting.” She tilted her head. “Let’s see how long you can survive here.”

With that, she walked away, leaving behind a confused audience and an even more confused Joon-hyuk.

The Warning

By lunchtime, Joon-hyuk had already forgotten about the encounter. He was used to being ignored, and he preferred it that way. But today, the school wouldn’t let him fade into the background.

As he walked toward the cafeteria, someone grabbed his arm and dragged him into an empty classroom.

“What the—?” He yanked his arm back, turning to see a tall, broad-shouldered guy blocking the door.

Kang Min-ho. Son of a real estate tycoon. Captain of the Judo team. And the guy who had just been rejected by Han Soo-ah this morning.

“Stay away from Soo-ah.” Min-ho’s voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp. Threatening.

Joon-hyuk almost laughed. “You dragged me in here for that? I barely know her.”

Min-ho stepped closer, his expensive cologne and anger filling the air. “Then keep it that way.”

Joon-hyuk met his gaze, unbothered. “Are we done here?”

Min-ho exhaled, annoyed. “You don’t belong in this school, Joon-hyuk. People like you don’t last here.”

Something inside Joon-hyuk twisted, but he didn’t show it. He had spent his whole life hearing those words, but they didn’t mean anything. Not anymore.

“Then I guess we’ll see how long I last.” With that, he walked past Min-ho and out the door.

But as he left, something unsettled him.

Because Kang Min-ho wasn’t the only person who thought he didn’t belong.

Joon-hyuk knew he didn’t belong. Not just in this school, but in the entire world these rich kids lived in.

And the biggest reason for that was the secret he had spent his whole life hiding.

Because Lee Joon-hyuk wasn’t just a scholarship student.

He was the only son of one of the richest men in Korea.

To be continued…

"The most dangerous secrets are the ones you don't even know you're keeping."

Joon-hyuk walked down the hallway, his hands tucked into his pockets, acting like Kang Min-ho’s warning meant nothing. But deep inside, something in him was boiling.

He had promised himself that he wouldn’t let anyone in this school get to him. That he wouldn’t care about their world, their money, their fake power plays. But hearing those words—

"You don’t belong."

It hit deeper than he wanted to admit.

Because they were true.

Not in the way Kang Min-ho thought, though. Joon-hyuk didn’t belong in this school—not because he was poor, but because he was richer than all of them combined.

The Hidden Life

No one at Shinseong High knew who he really was. They thought he was just a scholarship student with no connections, no status. And he let them believe that.

Because the truth?

His father was Lee Tae-sung, CEO of LK Group, a multi-billion-dollar empire that controlled everything from luxury hotels to tech companies. A man who had power that stretched far beyond Korea.

But to the world, Lee Tae-sung didn’t have a son.

Joon-hyuk had spent his whole life in the shadows, hidden away from reporters, from cameras, from anyone who could connect him to his father’s name. It wasn’t just a choice—it was a command.

"You will not use my name. You will not seek attention. And above all, you will not show weakness."

His father’s words had never left him.

That’s why Joon-hyuk had fought for his own place in this school, getting in through his own grades, his own abilities. No one handed him a silver spoon. No one even knew he was holding one.

The Girl Who Sees Too Much

Joon-hyuk reached the rooftop, the only place in Shinseong High where he could breathe. Away from the whispers, the expectations, the constant pretending.

But today, he wasn’t alone.

Han Soo-ah stood there, leaning against the railing, staring at the skyline.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

She didn’t turn around. "Thinking. What about you?"

"Existing."

That made her chuckle. “So mysterious. You’re like one of those brooding drama protagonists.”

Joon-hyuk sighed. "And you're like one of those nosy female leads who can't mind her own business."

Soo-ah finally turned to face him, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "That’s because you’re interesting."

Joon-hyuk raised an eyebrow. "I’m not."

"Oh, you definitely are." She stepped closer. "You’re different. And not in the ‘scholarship student trying to survive’ way."

For the first time, Joon-hyuk felt something close to panic. Did she… know?

Before he could respond, she smirked. "Relax. I’m just saying—I can tell you’re hiding something."

He forced himself to stay calm. "Everyone has secrets, Han Soo-ah."

"True." She tilted her head. "But I wonder… what’s yours?"

Joon-hyuk didn’t answer. Instead, he did what he did best—he walked away.

But as he left, he could still feel her gaze on his back.

And for the first time, he wondered if his secret was really as safe as he thought.

To be continued…

"Some invitations are not meant to be accepted. But some traps are impossible to avoid."

Joon-hyuk had spent years perfecting the art of being invisible. He walked through Shinseong High like a ghost, just another nameless scholarship student among heirs and heiresses who controlled Korea’s economy.

But now, it felt like every pair of eyes was on him.

And one of those eyes belonged to Han Soo-ah.

He could feel her gaze from across the cafeteria, sharp and unwavering. She wasn’t just watching him—she was studying him.

It made him uneasy.

Because people who got too curious about him? They never ended well.

The Unwanted Invitation

Joon-hyuk pushed his tray away, ready to leave, but his plan to escape failed miserably when a shadow loomed over him.

Kang Min-ho.

The guy was pure arrogance wrapped in designer clothing. The eldest son of Kang Corporations, heir to billions, and a future CEO.

And right now, he looked like he had just won something important.

Min-ho smirked. “You’re coming to my father’s gala tomorrow.”

Joon-hyuk frowned. “Why would I do that?”

Min-ho leaned in, lowering his voice. “Because my father personally requested your presence.”

A chill ran down Joon-hyuk’s spine.

Kang Joon-seok.

CEO of Kang Corporations. Ruthless. Intelligent. A man who never did anything without a reason.

Joon-hyuk didn’t react. He simply looked at Min-ho with unreadable eyes. “I don’t do rich-people parties.”

Min-ho’s smirk deepened. “You don’t have a choice.”

Something was wrong.

Did Kang Joon-seok… know something?

Did he somehow find out that Joon-hyuk wasn’t just a nobody—but the only son of Lee Tae-sung, Korea’s most powerful billionaire?

Joon-hyuk stayed silent, calculating.

He couldn’t decline the invitation. That would be suspicious.

But attending? That was walking into a lion’s den.

A Partner in Crime?

Joon-hyuk spent the rest of the day debating his options. By the time classes ended, he still had no solution.

And then came problem number two.

Han Soo-ah.

She blocked his way just as he was leaving.

“Lee Joon-hyuk.” She crossed her arms, tilting her head. “Why didn’t you tell me we have a date?”

Joon-hyuk blinked. “…What?”

Soo-ah smirked. “The Kang Gala. You and me. Tomorrow night.”

Joon-hyuk groaned. “You’re actually going?”

“Of course.” She flicked her hair back. “Do you know how exclusive this event is? Even chaebol heirs fight to get in.”

“And you just happened to get invited?”

She shrugged, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Let’s just say I have my ways.”

Joon-hyuk sighed. “This is a bad idea.”

“Oh, absolutely.” Soo-ah grinned. “That’s what makes it fun.”

He rubbed his temples. This girl was going to be a problem.

A very big problem.

The Unseen Threat

That night, as Joon-hyuk sat in his small apartment, staring at the city lights, a single thought haunted him.

Why did Kang Joon-seok invite him?

Did he really know something?

Or was this just the beginning of something far worse?

One thing was clear—tomorrow’s gala was not just a party.

It was a trap.

To be continued…